The invention relates generally to an apparatus for tightening a ring of refractory brick; more particularly it relates to an apparatus for tightening a ring of refractory brick without occupying the key brick space of such a ring.
Rings of refractory brick are often used as lining for abrasion and heat resistance within a cylindrical shell. The life of the refractory lining depends, in part, upon the tightness with which it is constructed. In particular, the tighter the construction of the ring of brick the longer the life of the lining. It is therefore desirable to have a device which accommodates maximum tightening of the ring.
Many attempts have been made to provide a means to sufficiently tighten a ring of refractory brick. The general concept behind some of the presently-employed methods is to place an expandable device between the last two bricks in the ring, in what is referred to as the key brick space, to compress and tighten the ring. Typically, however, the device must be withdrawn before the final, or key, brick can be inserted to complete the ring. Such a method is, therefore, disadvantageous for some applications because it allows some loosening of the ring prior to its completion.
Alternatively, the device has been left in the structure and embedded in lining material such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,719 to Heath. This method, however, is believed to be more costly because of the inclusion of the compression device in the refractory ring. Also, it is believed that repair of the ring would be impeded because of the permanence of the installation of the compression device.
Hence, to provide an improved means of tightening a ring of refractory brick, it would be advantageous to provide a means for tightening the ring which maintains compression on the ring while leaving the key brick space open for the insertion or removal of the key brick.